Microsoft Posts SP2 Blocking Tools

The problem, said Microsoft, is that while it's recommending all users update to SP2 as soon as possible, some customers "would like to temporarily block the delivery of SP2 in order to provide additional time for validation and testing of the update," Microsoft said in a statement.

To keep Automatic Update (AU) and/or Windows Update (WU) from automatically downloading and/or installing SP2, but still keep those services running so they can grab other security fixes, Microsoft's assembled a kit of tools and posted it here.

The disabling functions automatically expire in mid-December, after which SP2 will be deployed to all Windows XP machines whether the enterprise likes it or not.

Microsoft also pegged next Monday, August 16, as the SP2 release date to Automatic Update. SP2 will post to Windows Update later in the month.

This story courtesy of TechWeb .